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Welcome
Welcome to the 2016 edition of The Good Universities Guide. For
nearly a quarter of a century, Hobsons has helped students with
one of the most important decisions of their education journey:
choosing a higher education course and institution.
If you've been keeping an eye on news in education, you will
have heard all about the federal government's proposal to
deregulate the higher education sector. In the simplest terms, the
government initiated a range of changes that will impact future
higher education students. If approved, these changes will affect:
· undergraduate tuition fees, including federal government
subsidies to student contributions and fee structures
· availability of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs)
· Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) repayments.
The single biggest change relates to tuition fees, where a
deregulated market would allow public universities to set their
own undergraduate fees. Currently, fees are based on three
undergraduate student contribution bands (see page 40).
Depending on the field of study, universities charge CSP students
a maximum of $6152 (Band 1), $8768 (Band 2) or $10,266 (Band
3) per year of their degree. In a deregulated system, there's no
knowing how much a degree could cost. Research conducted by
tertiary education experts found that universities will need to raise
fees by a minimum of 33 per cent, and in some fields by more
than 70 per cent: think $25,000 for a humanities degree and
approaching $100,000 for medical and law degrees.
So why does this matter to you - and why should you keep
reading?
Education is a significant investment of your time and money.
Depending on your degree, you will spend three, four - even
seven - years studying, when you could have gone straight into
the workforce after school and begun earning money.
At some point you will need to begin repaying your HELP loan for
your degree - the repayment threshold for the 2015-16 financial
year is $54,126. That may seem like a lot of money now, and a
long way into the future, but when it's time to start paying off your
loan you'll no doubt have other expenses: rent, a car loan,
holidays and maybe even a mortgage. The extra time taken to
begin earning, coupled with higher tuition fees, means that the
decision to pursue a university education requires careful
research if you are to get the most out of your degree.
This is why we believe that return on investment (ROI) is a crucial
consideration for prospective undergraduate students. When
choosing a degree, you need to know that you are making an
educated decision based on the return you expect from your time
at uni. That could mean a bigger salary after you graduate, or
maybe it's a fantastic learning experience where you've
established new personal and professional networks.
Higher education is an incredibly enriching experience - you will
learn and discover more than you can imagine, build confidence
and independence, and improve your prospects in a competitive
job market. And don't forget, as a university graduate you are
likely to earn up to 75 per cent more than those workers who only
completed Year 12.
The Good Universities Guide should be used as a starting point
for your research. Be sure to look at our ratings when comparing
universities and examine the field of study tables to see how well
graduates have fared in recent years. It is also important to
consult institutions and their student advisers, and go to open
days to see the institution in action. Look at industries themselves
too - peak bodies and organisations may offer insight and
advice on study options and career pathways you could consider.
As you navigate your career and education journey, check out
some of these other useful resources:
· Hobsons Course Finder (www.HobsonsCourseFinder.com.au):
an online one-stop shop for information about careers,
tertiary courses and education providers. It covers study
options from certificate I level to doctorates.
· Job Guide (www.jobguide.education.gov.au): the national
online and print resource providing information about
hundreds of occupations and their career pathways.
· Studies in Australia (www.StudiesinAustralia.com): a guide
to studying in Australia for international students. It is
available as a print publication, website and e-book.
At the date of publication (May 2015), changes to student
tuition fees, loan schemes and repayments were subject to the
passage of legislation. For the latest information, refer to the
federal government's Study Assist website at
http://studyassist.gov.au.